Hounds Town Palm Coast – Bunnell
Launching a franchise can be a daunting challenge even for a successful and retired corporate executive. Jackie Rector, the now proud owner of Hounds Town Palm Coast – Bunnell, experienced this for herself and knew that she needed support to make her new dream a reality. That’s when she turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) in Palm Coast. As she looks forward to celebrating her new business’s one year anniversary, she is glad she did.
Hounds Town is a fully interactive doggy daycare, boarding, and pet spa facility. Designed like a town for dogs, it features expansive play areas, luxury overnight suites, and a pampering doggie day spa. “What makes Hounds Town special is that the dogs are not caged or crated,” shares Rector. “We pride ourselves in the care we give our dogs. We make sure, when they come to us, that they can play interactively in a natural pack environment with dogs of the same size, temperament, and play style. What that does is help to socialize the dogs and make them happy. And that’s what it’s all about: Doing it for the Dogs.”
Rector’s professional background brought significant advantage to her new venture. “As a retired corporate executive from a Fortune 200 company, I knew I had the foundation to be a business owner,” she explains. “But I knew I needed some support in terms of developing a business plan, getting funding. I couldn’t do that alone. So I found the Small Business Development Center in Palm Coast, and I was fortunate enough to get the support I needed and that’s why I am sitting here today. I couldn’t have done any of this without someone by my side coaching me.”
That someone was Michael Oppenheim, a consultant with the FSBDC at UCF. Rector worked closely with him, leveraging the FSBDC’s no-cost consulting services. “It started with a conversation. It was then a lot of discussion and brainstorming so I could evaluate my decision to make this investment and take this journey,” she recalls. “I needed to think about everything and especially things I hadn’t thought about. I met with Michael of the SBDC and we discussed it all, from start to finish, which was really good for me because I needed that.”
Oppenheim also helped Rector secure the capital she needed to launch her business. He guided her through preparing a loan package, identifying lenders, and facilitating the transaction. “A huge piece of working with the Small Business Development Center is obtaining funding,” Rector explains, “and I was able to get the funding I needed.”
Today, the FSBDC supports Rector with marketing strategy and financial management best practices. “Working with the SBDC is a no brainer,” she concludes. “I was really amazed and actually surprised that these resources are available to individuals looking to start their own business. And it doesn’t cost me anything. It is the way to go to make sure you have everything you need in your toolkit to be successful.”
For information about Hounds Town Palm Coast – Bunnell, please visit https://houndstownusa.com/locations/palm-coast-bunnell/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=map&utm_id=palm-coast-bunnell.
